The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-24
The True story OF Haztppa.
Leading facts in the Life Of the Rider Celebrated ID
Poem, Painting and the Drama


A portrait of Mszeppa. painted from
life has been discovered at Kief, in
Southern Russia, and is being engraved
by the Russian aeademic:an, Demery
Kowkosky.
1t will surprise nearly every one who
hears that MaZeppa was q real, living
man who could sit for his portrait-he
seems so like a purely mythical being
like BellerOphon or like one of the An
azohs. Yet he was a real man and cut
quite figure in his part of the world
200 years ago.
John Stephanovitch Mazeppa was
Cossack, who made a successful war
upon the savage Tartars who desolated
Southern Russia, driving them back to
the Caspian.
This so recommended him TO Peter
the Great that he invited the Cossack TO
his court and covered bim with honors
and gifts. But when Peter sent him
against the invading Swedes under
Charles XII he betrayed the Russian and
went over with his followers TO the
enemy.
Peter defeated them both and drove
them Tito Turkish territory, where,
fearing to fall into the hands Of his for
mer relentless master, Mazeppa killed
himself
He had before this hidden all the tres-
sures which he had amassed in his wars
and through gifts from those he had
served. in caverns in the hills around
Kief The portrait now discovered was
probably hidden at this time.
The incident by which we know him
actually did occur.
He was by birth COssack, but when
very young he was sent to serve as a
page in the court of the Polish King.
There his beauty and bravery won him
great favor, especially with tie ladies.
With one of them, the wife of a Ger
tain noble, he was suspected of too
great an intimacy and the jealous hus-
band in revenge ordered him to be bound
naked TO the back of wild horse, that
had never been ridden. The horse was
Tartar horse, from the Steppes, and
when loosed he rushed madly back to
his native country with the unwilling
rider bound to his back
The Cossacks received the unhappy
youth when nearly dead from exhaus-
tion, and he grew up among them, re-
maTkable for strength and bravery.
Byron got his story out of Voltaire's
Life Of Charles Kill" ard worked it
up into his dashing and attractive
poem
a story so dramatic was at once
seized upon adaptation 20 the stage and
it was prsented here as early as 1926 by
an englishman named Hunter. He also
was very hansOme man and made a
great stir in the town. THIS was at the
circus which is now the Walnut Street
Theatre.
The picture of MaZeppa bound to the
horses back, which everybody knows
so well, was painted by Horace Vernet,
one of the greatest of French artists
4 Vernet, of course. got his inspiration
! from Byron, to whom We all owe what
/ ever knowledge we may bave of the
| brilliant Cossack rider and soldier.
! MaZeppa's real motives FOR betraying
/ Peter are not certainly known. The
/ Poles, who look upon him as hero,
| always have maintained that he had in
| view the welfare of the Polish nation,
and they point to the fact that he stip-
ulated with the Swedish King for the
! independence OF Poland.
| If this be the truth, il gives a certain
| dignity to the act, but the Russian story
ruus more in accord with what other
wise is known Of him. They say that
/ he was led 10 go over to the enemy by
/ the Establishments OF a certain Polish
| princess. This would better correspond
| with the rest of his adventurous career
Few men, however, who are simply
I adventures get their actions recorded
/ by historian like Voltaire, and celebra-
/ ted by d poet like Byron, and painted by
master like Verne:, and get to be
known by all school boys who speak the
/ English language. and all this not from
I any act of doing, but one OF suffering
merely.-Pbiladelpbia Tunes.